Songs and Mead
by TrojanTy27
Summary: The story of the search for fame and glory, bonds forged and the immortality. First go at writing Fan-fiction, if you read this drop a review so i know where i'm going wrong. Cheers!


The winds whipped and howled, sweeping the snow around his hunched, sorrowful figure. His armament barely holding together against the onslaught of the blizzard, bitter cold seeping into the pores of his skin, his hands locked under his arms in a futile attempt to stave away the frostbite. His long black hair matted and dirty, frozen into dreadlocks like his beard. Eyes squinting into the distances as he marched slowly on, one step at a time; his footsteps crunching into the deep snow. A black shadow began to seep out in the distance and with every laboured step became more clear until he was stood at the entrance of a small cave opening. He looked to the sky in an attempt at a prayer but his mouth was locked shut by the burning cold before shuffling into the shelter that would save his life.

Looking around the entrance it seemed like any other cave, stalagmite and stalactites decorated the floor and ceiling, mushrooms of varying descriptions had sprouted in the nooks and crannies; but in the middle of the cave lay an abandoned camp. Seemingly left long ago as moss had started to grow on the firewood, a book also lay moulded and decayed the title on the front now illegible. Ignoring his curiosity for now he stumble toward the firewood searching for the driest pieces and began to re-ignite the remnants of the fireplace that lay close to a hide tent. With numbed hands and great difficulty the first sparks were born and soon after a warming fire emerged, placing his palms against the heat the natural dark green pallor of his skin emerged. The muscles in his body relaxing with the heat, relieving from the painful contracted state that the cold brings.

"Thank you Malauch, thank you for seeing fit to keep me alive a while longer,"

I whispered into the breeze, the fire had rejuvenated more then just my body, I could feel my very soul being lifted. Not a few moments ago I had been sure of my demise, unfitting of an Orc, to die in a blizzard unarmed and undignified. The steel plate I had hanging off my body was in need of some repair, the leather strapping that was meant to keep it against my body had torn in my struggle with the mountain. I had no one to blame for that but myself, I had used cheap, barely usable leather in an attempt to save a few coins. If I had just spent a few extra septims, I would not have had to deal with such a problem.

After an hour of resting by the flames I decided to sate my curiosity and search through the belongings left behind by the previous occupant. Rummaging through some sacks by the hide tent I found a pickaxe, some leather straps and what looked like a healing potion, though the bottle was unmarked and not being much of an alchemist; I was unable to discern the potion from smell or sight alone. I replaced the leather strapping's on my armour using the pickaxe to cut the straps and the hilt to nail them into to place, though the result wasn't of the highest standard, the plate armour certainly held together, better then its previous state.

Now my thoughts certainly felt lighter, my armour was fixed, I had a weapon of sorts and a fire, all I needed now was to sate the rumbling within my gut. I got up and examined my surroundings, more of the cave was visible due to the light from the fire dancing across the walls and ceiling. The only edible things around were the mushrooms, though not having the knowledge to be completely sure I wasn't prepared to risk having severe bowl movements or worse.

At the far end of the cave, directly opposite of where I had stumbled in, there seemed to be a tunnel leading into complete darkness. I stared into the black at the end of the tunnel, my mind pondering on the risks posed from entering into the unknown. A sudden wrench in my gut quickly brought my mind out of the abyss,

"For Malauch's sake I am an Orc, I hold no fear only create fear in others."

Muttering to myself as I fed the flames more wood and lit a torch I had found next to the scavenged sack, I then proceeded into the tunnel ahead, my torch beating back the engulfing darkness. The tunnel was as to be expected from any cave, mushrooms grew on the floor and moss clung to the walls. Though most cave tunnels would fork at various intervals, this would seemed to just veer to left slightly then back to the right. As paced cautiously through, a shuffling could be heard in the distance, I crouched down lower taking slower steps as I advanced from the end of the tunnel into another large cave expanse. It seemed I had crept onto an overlook which sloped down on the left into a pit, the source of the shuffling. Grunting and sniffing could now be heard as I tried work out what shape of being was lurking in the depths of that pit. A sudden loud, gravely roar confirmed what I had suspected, Troll!

I faced myself towards the slope, the only direction it could attack me from, I heard its paws slap against the cave floor as it rushed toward me. As soon as it was visible in my circle of light it struck a paw out from the right trying to rend my head from my shoulders, anticipating this I was ready and ducked as its claws flew above me. The creature was off balance and lumbered toward me, I thrust my torch at the beast setting it alight. The creature wailed in agony as the flames engulfed it, though it was smart enough to know to try and pat out the fire. Before it could recover I saw the opening I needed, releasing my Orcish rage I slammed the pick directly into the troll's third eye, wrenching the pick out and repeatedly slamming into the creatures forehead till my rage had died and the bloody remnants pasted my armour and face. Catching my breathe I wiped the blood from my face and stepped over my defeated victim. Delving into the pit the troll had called home, I found chewed bones of various animals and some bones of unwary victims perhaps one of these being the previous resident of the abandoned camp. Fate smiled on me again as I found a carcass of an elk only partially eaten, it seemed I had disturbed the troll as it tucked into its meal. But as is the way of nature it's meal would now become mine.


End file.
